An Australian Mom Repaints Doll Faces To Make Them Look Like Real Kids

Thanks to the Lammily doll, Barbie's unattainable beauty standards are getting a real-girl update. But now Australian woman Sonia Singh has transformed the ostentatious look of Bratz dolls for the better. On her Tumblr account, Tree Change Dolls, Singh reveals her artistic process. After she purchases the dolls at secondhand stores, she not only restyles their hair and fashions them new clothes but also repaints their faces and switches their feet for a more realistic appearance.

The before-and-afters are just as captivating as a makeunder on a live person — each doll goes from something creepily on the verge of pornographic to something more appropriate for young girls to play with.

Sonia Singh from Tasmania unintentionally became an artist. As she went to the resale shop and began to pick up cheap old dolls for $1.00, she was embarrassed even at home to be seen "playing with dolls." She cleaned off their makup and the dirty smudges, and began to paint new faces on them. The simple realistic style she used on each of them has become the look that everyone wants. She makes their shoes and her mother makes the clothes for them. She only made 12, and then they went viral and everyone wants them.

Sonia talks about how there's so many programs out there teaching people how to go viral. She went viral, and now is posed with the thought of coming up with a business plan. She has set up an Etsy shop in February, and it continues to spur love and affection with shares across the globe.

"The story of us going a bit viral and being caught off guard by it has made us go even more viral! We still don’t have a business plan but are having a good time working out how to make this little doll project into a small business we can enjoy doing in the longer term. Quite a turnaround from being made redundant after the cutbacks at CSIRO a few months ago. Thanks to all who have helped to get us started - Sonia."